Carlos Alcaraz celebrates the goal by Beto during the Premier League win over Fulham FC at Craven Cottage . Photo by Shaun Brooks - CameraSport via Getty Images
Carlos Alcaraz celebrates the goal by Beto during the Premier League win over Fulham FC at Craven Cottage . Photo by Shaun Brooks - CameraSport via Getty Images
Carlos Alcaraz became Everton’s first signing of a busy summer on Saturday when the Blues confirmed they had made his loan spell permanent. The 22-year-old is an early salvo on the transfer market by David Moyes, who faces a major squad rebuilding exercise ahead of the move to the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
That it took until the end of the campaign to seal the deal for the Argentine left some perplexed - he was an instant fan favourite who quickly stated his desire to secure his future on Merseyside.
But if it took time for the powers-to-be to be fully convinced, Alcaraz eventually made the opportunity to sign him, for a fee of around £12.6m, too good to turn down. There were three performances in particular that stood out.
Saturday, February 15: Crystal Palace 1-2 Everton
This was the win that allowed Everton supporters to start to believe they could enjoy an Easter without sleepless nights for the first time in several years. A fourth win in five under Moyes, it moved them 13 points clear of the bottom three as they continued their remarkable surge in form under the returning boss. When he took over weeks earlier, just one point separated them from the relegation zone.
On a grey winter afternoon in south London it was Alcaraz who lit up this match. His first start since his move from Flamengo two weeks earlier, he played in a deeper central role and orchestrated a battling win.
Not only did Alcaraz set up the opener for Beto, it was the former Southampton man who lashed in the winner with 10 minutes to go. The goal and assist were the high point of an otherwise impressive performance in which he showcased his ability to help an injury-hit Everton side transition from defence to attack with efficiency.
At the end of this game, Alcaraz took in the new-found adoration of the away end before crossing the pitch alone on a journey in which he looked as though he was contemplating the possibility of having finally found a club to call home after a turbulent four-club, cross-continent search. When the deal was announced on Saturday, it was an image from this game that he marked his move with on social media.
Palace match verdict:What emotional Carlos Alcaraz did alone away from Everton players hints at perfect match at last
Saturday, May 10: Fulham 1-3 Everton
It was back in the capital last month when Alcaraz began to reassert himself into the future of the Blues. He had followed up that display at Palace with useful performances, some from the bench, in the weeks that followed.
The return to fitness of teammates like James Garner, Iliman Ndiaye, Armando Broja and Dwight McNeil impacted his playing time, however, as did Moyes’ caution over triggering the nine-start clause that would have forced Everton to make the deal permanent perhaps before the Blues boss had been fully convinced.
His absence from the starting line-up against Manchester City meant he could not reach that milestone, a development that gave Moyes a new freedom towards his usage. Alcaraz responded emphatically and at Fulham he rescued Everton from a woeful start and inspired a win on the road.
The wider Blues performance had been troubling and the side were fortunate to be just one goal down when this game began to fade into half-time. Alcaraz changed the dynamics of the day by swooping on Andreas Pereira on the edge of the Fulham box and forcing the attacking throw that led to Vitalii Mykolenko’s undeserved equaliser.
A revived Everton emerged from the break and Alcaraz was key in the goals that followed, barging Ryan Sessegnon away from preventing the corner Michael Keane then scored from and then creating the third goal for Beto. As Everton celebrated an unexpected turnaround in the sunshine it was Alcaraz who had been the catalyst for the comeback.
Fulham match verdict:What Carlos Alcaraz did after hearing Everton away end speaks volumes ahead of seismic summer
Sunday, May 25: Newcastle United 0-1 Everton
If Alcaraz was playing for his Everton future at St James’ Park, he could not have made a stronger case. On the final day of the season, in a game that meant little to the Blues and everything to Newcastle United, it was Alcaraz who led the visitors to a surprise but deserved victory.
Alcaraz was key in both boxes, throwing his body in the way of goal-bound efforts from Alexander Isak and Harvey Barnes and producing a fine stop from Nick Pope in the first half, a chance that ended a move started by the surging run in which he drew Sven Botman into a cynical foul that earned the defender a booking.
That goal-bound effort had come from a Mykolenko cross and the pair combined again in the second half, when Alcaraz glanced in the left-back’s cross to score the match winner. Moyes kept his cards close to his chest when asked about Alcaraz’s future after the game but this was a display that showed he could produce big moments against some of the best in the league.